Page 21 of Another Underworld

I did.

“I’m going to move away from you. When Cher touches your shoulder, you tell me which direction I went.”

“When do I open my eyes?” I asked, unclear on the game we were playing. However, Abaddon didn’t play games. There was a reason for almost everything he did.

He didn’t say a word. That was fine. I was all in. With my eyes shut, I concentrated hard. When Cher touched my shoulder, my answer was instant. “Abaddon is to my left, about thirty feet away.”

“Open your eyes,” Abaddon called out.

I was correct… and confused. “How did I do that?”

Again, he was cryptic and didn’t answer my question. “This time, Cher will move, and you will tell me where she is,” he instructed. “I’m curious if it will work with a non-Demon.”

I closed my eyes. I smiled when I felt Abaddon touch my shoulder. Without missing a beat, I announced Cher’s location. “About twenty-five feet away, directly in front of me.”

“Bingo!” Cher crowed as I opened my eyes and laughed.

“My turn,” Fifi insisted.

I closed my eyes. It was Cher who touched my shoulder this time. “Five feet in back of me, holding two grenades in the air.”

Fifi cheered. I whipped around and discovered I was one hundred percent correct. This was a good game, but I still didn’t understand the significance.

Abaddon picked me up and swung me in a circle with a laugh and proud expression on his face.

“Talk,” I said, breathlessly when he put me down. “Explain.”

“You will feel your way to the camps,” he told me. “When those who are loyal to you are near, you’ll know. It’s part of who you are.”

“That’s a nifty trick,” I said, delighted with the discovery.

“It’s nothing,” Pandora spat.

“I beg to disagree, Stinky Whore,” I said flatly. “It’s something. And something is far better than nothing. What are you bringing to the table?”

She didn’t have a quick, sarcastic comeback for that one. Instead, she looked profoundly unsettled and anxious. She really had no freaking clue what to do or how to respond. Pandora had ruled her land and her minions with an iron fist, and that same fist was now crushing her.

I shook my head and scoffed. “Just what I thought,” I added balefully. “If you don’t have anything helpful to add, it’s okay to say nothing. As a matter of fact, it’s preferred.” I turned away from her since I wanted to set her on fire. That would be mean. I wasn’t mean. She was. And I wasn’t going to stoop to her level. I checked for my box of glowing toothpicks. It was in my pocket. I hoped I wouldn’t need them, but having them was like a freaking security blanket.

“Close your eyes, Cecily,” Abaddon said softly. “I want to test one last thing.”

I heard him whisper to Cher, but couldn’t make out what he said. Less than a minute later the game was back on.

“Can you tell me where Pandora is?” Abaddon asked.

I was surprised. It was very clear that the Demon Goddess wasn’t loyal to me. However, I played along. I let my senses lead me. “Umm… twenty feet away to my left with Cher.”

“Interesting,” Abaddon said, squinting at me as I opened my eyes.

I’d been right again.

“It’s not that interesting,” Pandora snapped. “She’s a Goddess. I’m a Goddess. We’re in close proximity, and we don’t despise each other.”

I raised a brow and laughed. “Speak for yourself, Stinky Whore.” The minute the words left my lips, I regretted them. The briefest flash of hurt that crossed Pandora’s face made me feel like shit. “Kidding. It’s a joke,” I said quickly. “A crappy one. I like you. Although, I like you best when you’re not being a colossal bitch.”

“Whatever,” she said tonelessly. “Your friendship isn’t on my wish list in this lifetime or any other.”

“Right,” I said. “Got it. Shall we go?”

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